How quickly the time passes we say, as another new year begins and we look back at the old. The years do seem to get shorter as we get older. I remember when a day stretched out forever and weeks passed as months do now….or was it just the impatience of youth that made it seem that way? The waiting, that’s what makes the time pass slowly; standing in line, watching the clock, doing something we don’t enjoy….all these things seem to slow time down. A day at work with little to do turns into a long day indeed…. but when we’re busy and productive how quickly the hours fly by.
Being busy is good and being productive is even better, but how much time is wasted when we get so busy doing what must be done that we have no time left for things that need to be done. A person’s work day takes at least eight hours for most of us. If we get eight hours of sleep, that’s sixteen hours out of a twenty-four hour day already accounted for, doing what must be done. That leaves us with eight hours to do other things…. like raising our kids, cleaning our homes, cooking, shopping, paying bills…. No wonder God created for us a day of rest.
Nightly sleep is meant to refresh our bodies, but our brains are often on overdrive and eight hours is simply not enough time to accomplish all that must be done, so sleep is cut down to six or maybe five hours on a good night. Is this how our lives were meant to be spent? We have to work in order to survive, but is surviving our only goal? Maybe it’s time to see what God has to say on the subject of time.
Psalm 89:47 Remember how short my time is…
Hosea 10:12 ….it is time to seek the Lord…
Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
1 Cor. 7:29 But this I say, brethern, the time is short.
2 Cor. 6:2….behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Rev. 1:3….for the time is at hand.
What happens to us if we spend all this time working, raising our kids and doing what has to be done and we miss out on the most important thing God planned for us? We must take time to seek Him because time is short and tomorrow is not promised to any of us. In our fast-paced world we must take the time needed to not only refresh our minds and bodies, but to make sure our souls are secure in the hands of Jesus Christ who came to give us a more abundant life….not abundant in money or possessions, but in the knowledge and security of belonging to Him.
As the old hymn says: “Take time to be holy. Speak oft with thy Lord. Abide in Him always and feed on His Word.” For those of us who remember to do this and put Him first, 2018 will surely be a most happy New Year!
